USL Week 6: A Look Ahead

USL Week 6: A Look Ahead

A 13-game week and a 10-game Saturday is what can be expected of week 6 in the United Soccer League. Highlighting week 6 are the Keystone Derby between the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Harrisburg City Islanders as well as San Antonio FC’s tour of the Pacific Northwest with a second game in four days after their week 5 game in Seattle.

Here is the full slate of USL games for the weekend:

Portland Timbers 2 vs San Antonio FC (Friday, 10:30 ET)

San Antonio FC will be playing their second game of the week in the Pacific Northwest. On Tuesday, San Antonio beat Seattle Sounders 2, 3-2, at Starfire Stadium. The game will also be the third of the 25 games where the USL will feature Video Assisted Refereeing. T2 will look to build on their first win of the season in Sacramento where they beat Republic FC, 2-0.

Bethlehem Steel FC vs FC Cincinnati (Saturday, 5:00 ET)

FC Cincinnati will drive east to the Lehigh Valley to face Bethlehem Steel FC in the first Saturday game of the week. The team will play its first game without goal-scorer Djiby Fall, who was fined and suspended for six games for a red card and what the league called “serious foul play.” Cincy midfielder Kadeem Dacres, however, will rejoin the team after serving his suspension last week.

Real Monarchs SLC vs Swope Park Rangers (Saturday, 6:00 ET)

The Monarchs will look to continue on the great 4-1-0 start to their season. They host Swope Park Rangers at Rio Tinto Stadium, who will look to catch up with the Monarchs in the second place of the Western Conference.

Vancouver Whitecaps 2 vs Sacramento Republic FC (Saturday, 6:00 ET)

WFC2 will look to get their first win against an independent USL team in a match against Sacramento Republic at Thunderbird Stadium. Vancouver will have one more player in their ranks, as they have signed Whitecaps draft pick Nazeem Bartman to a USL contract. The Repiblic will look to snap their three-game losing streak, as they are now at an even 3-3-0 record in the season.

Rochester Rhinos vs Charlotte Independence (Saturday, 6:05 ET)

With their first win of the season in the bank and Enzo Martinez notching the USL Player of the Week Award, the Charlotte Independence will look to extend on that result in up-state New York against the Rochester Rhinos. The Rhinos, meanwhile, enter winless in their last three matches.

The Riverhounds and City Islanders prepare for the Keystone Derby Cup match at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh. The series between the two teams is tied at one with the Riverhounds winning in 2015 and the City Islanders winning in 2016. This time, the City Islanders will be looking to continue on their current three-game unbeaten streak.

Charleston Battery vs Ottawa Fury FC (Saturday, 7:00 ET)

The new leaders of the USL’s Eastern Conference will host the Ottawa Fury at MUSC Health Stadium. The Fury will be without midfielder Andrae Campbell, who was given a three-game suspension after being sent off in his team’s home opener against Toronto FC II.

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Richmond Kickers (Saturday, 7:30 ET)

The Richmond Kickers, who snapped their three-game losing streak by beating the Pittsburgh Riverhounds last week, travel to Florida to take on the Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium. After dropping their last game to the Charleston Battery, the Rowdies are winless in three matches. With that in mind, the Rowdies will want to find a win and remain within the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Louisville City FC vs Toronto FC II (Saturday, 7:30 ET)

Louisville City FC return to Slugger Field after drawing FC Cincinnati last week as the club plays host to Toronto FC II. Louisville is one point away from Charleston and the top spot in the East whereas Toronto is trailing in 13th. TFCII announced on Thursday that Panama international midfielder Luis Pereira was acquired on loan from Arabe Unido.

After drawing on the road in Reno, the Switchbacks return to Colorado Springs to play Seattle Sounders 2. S2 slipped at home on Tuesday night against San Antonio FC and are now down to a two-game losing streak. The Switchbacks will look to open their two-game home stint at Weidner Field the right way and enter the Western Conference top three from their fourth position.

In the third of their string of five straight games at home, RGV FC will look at get a second win of the season against the OKC Energy. Ruben Luna was the lone scorer at Oklahoma City’s Taft Stadium in the Toros’ 1-0 win over the Energy back on April 8. The Energy will have goalkeeper Jacob Lissek back in the lineup after he was sent to FC Dallas as an emergency four-day loan for last week’s FCD game against Sporting Kansas City.

Week 1 of the 2018 USL season provided fans with plenty of great matchups and show-stopping goals. First, New York Red Bulls II came from behind to see off Toronto FC II to win their opening game of the (…)